


An Inescapable Fate

by bonesetblues



Series: A Path Intertwined [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Dying Will Flames, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Dabi is Todoroki Touya, F/F, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Injuries, No Arcobaleno Curse (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-01-24 03:36:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18563110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonesetblues/pseuds/bonesetblues
Summary: Tsuna likes to think he has enough on his plate between family secrets and being tutored by the world's strongest Vigilante, but life finds new ways to stretch him thin.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Should I be saying welcome back? Sure, why not? Green Eyes & Skies was a fun light-hearted fic and I hope to keep some of that same vibe with this new series, but it’s going to have some moments where it’s definitely not. Don’t worry, I’ll warn you when the time comes.
> 
> Also? This fic isn’t going to change too many things about canon. Like, obviously Dabi isn’t going to exist as a villain, and Mineta doesn’t exist, but Izuku still gets OFA.
> 
> Two side notes: Hitoshi’s canon height is 5’9” (and 3/4ths) and while Touya(Dabi) doesn’t have a canon height, I’ll say he’s six feet even. 
> 
> As for current ages: Tsuna, Izuku, and Hitoshi are 12. This is because ages in KHR canon are confusing, but as far as I know, Tsuna starts being tutored by Reborn at age 12, since he has two birthdays in canon, putting him up to 14 as stated in the wiki. But again, ages in KHR are confusing, so I could be completely off the mark. All Might comes later because of this since Izuku starts being mentored/trained when he’s 14 (I believe? Correct me if I’m wrong). Touya is currently 15, and he won’t be the only character whose age I’ll be messing with.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and leaving your support! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

A hand cuts through the smoke curling in front of narrowed black eyes. Quickly and unseen, fingers dart in close, plucking the cigarette from pursed lips, snubbing the fire out in an ashtray in front of them. 

“ _Testing my patience, Visconti?_ ” He asks, voice as smooth and dangerous as a knife. He tilts his head and though his companion can no longer see his eyes under his hat, he knows he’s being examined closely. 

“ _Not so_ ,” the other man, Visconti, replies. “ _Although I must admit, I think that Timoteo using up his last favor on this with you is a bit… rash._ ”

“ _It sounds important_ ,” he quips, pushing the ashtray closer to his companion. 

“ _Mm, but a civilian? That’s asking for trouble_ ,” Visconti says. “ _I think he’s out of his mind._ ”

“ _As one of his closest and oldest guardians, I’m surprised_ ,” he drawls, the sarcasm thick in his words. He draws his glass of water close and inspects it with a close eye.

“ _Well, he’s made his choice. All I can do is make sure that it turns out. Do not get me wrong, Reborn- if anyone can whip a civilian into shape, it’d be you. I just think that it’s preposterous not to employ his son._ ” Visconti lets out a scoff and leans back in his chair, crossing a leg over his knee.

“ _If I’ve heard correctly_ ,” and he most certainly has (damned anyone who gives him the wrong information), “ _Xanxus does not wish to be the boss of Vongola. He has the Varia to take care of, no?_ ”

Reborn watches the souring of Visconti’s face with interest.

“ _It’s a waste of potential if you ask me_ ,” Visconti says, waving a dismissive hand. 

“ _Well, I’m not._ ” Reborn smirks and leaves it at that, standing up from the bar. He puts down his water, untouched. “ _Asking, that is. Oh, by the way? If you ever try to use your quirk on me again, Timoteo will not be able to save you and he will never find your body._ ”

Leaving those words to be his parting, Reborn walks out of the room, listening to the sputtering of Timoteo’s guardian. He has a lot of work to do, after all.

* * *

“Tsuna, wake up,” a voice croons in his ear. 

Tsuna groans and tries to roll over, but only succeeds in falling out of bed. With a wail, he hits the floor. He moans in pain, holding his head. When he opens his eyes and blinks the tired tears away, he aims a glare at Touya. Touya’s grin is hidden behind his hand, but Tsuna knows him; it’s there.

“Izu and Hito are already dressed,” Touya informs him. “Better get going. Wouldn’t want to be late, would you?”

“You’re lucky,” Tsuna says, getting up from the floor. He scrambles around his room, gathering up the scattered pieces of his school uniform. 

“Yep,” Touya agrees, slouching as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He attends school from home, taking classes online and thus lords the flexible scheduling over his brothers' heads. 

Touya steps out of the room before Tsuna can even begin trying to push him out so he can get ready. He shuts the door with a slam. Touya sits out in the hall and listens to the thuds, signaling Tsuna has fallen over at least twice trying to get pants on. He shakes his head and makes his way to the kitchen. 

He greets Nana with a kiss to the cheek, hovering over her shoulder so he can pick at some of the apple slices she’s cutting up. With her hands busy like this, she can’t smack his fingers away. She titters, bumping her hip against him to get him to move. 

He pops an apple slice into his mouth, not swallowing as he manages to say, “Thanks, mom.” The playfulness is not lost on her and Nana gives him a stern glance that is undermined by her inability to not smile.

He moves around the counter to ruffle Izuku’s hair, his face buried in one of his hero analysis journals. Hitoshi is practically falling asleep in his mug of coffee. As tempting as it is to push his face down into the whipped cream, Touya exercises control and heads into the living room to wait until breakfast is ready. 

Tsuna, having finished getting ready for the day, starts down the hall. Passing by a window, he has a sensation of being watched, sending chills down his spine. He looks out the window, eyes narrowed as he scans the surrounding area, but relaxes when he sees nothing. However, his inattention means that he forgets to watch where he’s walking and slips on the wooden floor, smacking his face into the ground.

Touya, who had been watching the entire time, finds himself wondering. Inko comes inside from the backyard, dirt on her cheek from tending the garden, and she frets over Tsuna as he sits up, holding his sore nose. Luckily for him, he’s not bleeding this time. Still, the number of accidents Tsuna’s had in this morning alone tells them all something: his intuition is acting up.

“Tsuna?” Nana calls, rinsing her hands in the sink. “Come here for a second. All of you, for that matter, should hear this.”

Touya perks up in interest. He takes a seat at the barstools, taking the one on the far left. It’s habit by now that Tsuna takes the one in the middle of Izuku and Hitoshi. As he predicted, that’s where Tsuna beelines to.

“Iemitsu called me,” Nana says, putting a knife down in the sink with a sort of aggression that amuses him greatly. “We might be having a guest soon. I promised him a room to stay in return for… guidance.” 

Inko strides over to press a hand to Nana’s lower back, offering silent support.

“Guidance for what?” Tsuna asks, expression cold. Touya finds himself amused; all the boys sitting in this room have some issues regarding their bio-dads. 

“Think of him as a tutor,” Nana chirps, something playful behind her smile. Tsuna can see that there’s something tense hiding behind it but doesn’t get a chance to say anything when she looks at the clock and gasps.

“We’re running late! I’ll talk to you more about this later, okay? He’s not due for another week.” Nana shoves their lunches into their hands, Tsuna almost fumbling his onto the floor. Izuku’s packed up his journal and his lunch into his bag, on his way to put on his shoes.

To Touya’s disgust, Hitoshi has tossed his coffee back like a shot and has gotten whipped cream all over his mouth. Inko laughs but delicately cleans him up with a napkin, thoroughly embarrassing him.

Nana swipes up the car keys and heads to the entryway to put on shoes of her own. Once they’re all there, Touya wishes them a good day and kneels down enough to let Nana ruffle his dyed black hair. She hates when he exaggerates his kneel, if only highlighting how short she is, and she tugs a strand of his hair in an unspoken lecture. 

They leave the house and Touya watches them disappear into the garage from the window. He turns to Inko with an eyebrow raised.

“A tutor, really?” Touya asks, picking at some leftover fruit on the counter. Inko purses her lips.

“That’s what she said, but I think there’s more to it, too,” Inko replies. “I trust her to tell us all later what it’s really about. I suspect she’s angry at Iemitsu right now, but if she’s going along with his whims, then it’s for a good reason, I think.”

Or it’s unavoidable, he thinks but doesn’t say. Iemitsu calls so infrequently, Touya often forgets he exists. In fact, this is probably the second time he’s contacted Nana since Touya’s first arrived came home with her, and that was, shit, years ago? But if he’s calling, then it has to be important, and that’s why Nana probably feels obligated to go along with the whims of her ex-husband. Touya doesn’t know, but regardless, the situation irks him.

He’s not the only one, he notes. Inko’s got that look on her face that speaks of her concern. Of course, Nana wouldn’t have sprung a surprise guest on her without her permission, so Inko no doubt knows a lot more than she’s saying. It’s a good thing Touya is patient. And adaptable.

Touya has a feeling that whatever’s coming will change their home life in ways he couldn’t possibly begin to imagine.

* * *

In some ways, Touya hates being right.

“I don’t understand,” Izuku says, head tilting in a way that’s reminiscent of Nana. “He wants us to house a friend of his? Why? And what’s this about tutoring? I don’t think any of us need a tutor.”

At the end of the school day, Tsuna, Izuku, and Hitoshi had walked home and found Nana painting in her studio. Her strokes gave away her anxiety, but she hadn’t let anyone get a word in before she had stood up and beckoned them all into the house. Touya was in the process of shutting the lid of his laptop when they walked inside. Inko was on the other couch, knitting a new set of matching hats (none of the boys had the heart to tell her how embarrassing that is).

Then, Nana had begun, telling them Iemitsu called wondering if she couldn’t ‘help a pal out and give one of their spare rooms to a friend’. In exchange, Nana said, the friend was offering to tutor the boys. In what, Nana remains tight-lipped about.

“I know this is sudden, but I want you to keep an open mind and make him feel welcome,” Nana says, dodging some of Izuku’s questions. “Besides! It doesn’t hurt to have a little extra help.” 

Tsuna is a little offended by the way Nana keeps looking at him. He gets above average marks thanks to Izuku, and recently, Touya. 

“That tells us absolutely nothing,” Touya remarks.

Nana lets out a sigh, grabbing the hem of her shirt. The furrow of her eyebrows tells them of resignment and annoyance, though it’s not directed of any of the people in the room.

“I don’t know where to start or even how much I can tell you, which is why I can’t answer all your questions now, but… soon, okay? In the meantime, we should prepare one of the guest bedrooms,” Nana says. 

Tsuna isn’t alone when it comes to the grumbling, but they all march towards the cleaning supplies. Nana has been far from subtle about wanting more kids, with the way the spare bedrooms are maintained to a certain level of cleanliness, but it’s been a while since the last time work has been put into them. 

For the second time that day, when passing a window, Tsuna feels the sensation of being watched again. Though his intuition is quiet, Tsuna finds himself on edge. Before he can mention it, though, his name is called. He hurries down the hall, duster in hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter's a bit heavy on the dialogue, but I think I covered some important things? Like, I hope I made it clear that Nana doesn't approve of this, but kind of understands how things have to be? Anyway, most of it is addressed. I'm also kind of not happy about how it turned out, but hopefully, you all enjoy it regardless. The future chapters should be more exciting.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and leaving your support! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

While the boys are at school and Inko’s out shopping with Touya, Nana opens the door of her home to let in their surprise guest. She hasn’t seen this man since her previous wedding to a man she’d rather forget but is unable to. She tries not to show how unhappy she is and instead steps aside, watching him politely take off his shoes, stacking them neatly beside hers. 

His sharp eyes take in the decor and then he turns to her, waiting for her to lead the way. Part of it is because he doesn’t want her at his back and it’s for a good reason. Nana may not be a violent person, but even the nicest person can run out of patience.

“Are you still scouting?” Nana asks, cutting through his thoughts. She doesn’t waste time with pleasantries, not when she knows what he’s here for. 

To be clear, she does not actually hate Reborn, despite being a vigilante. She hates how Iemitsu and his boss are cutting into her life, still. More importantly, she hates that Tsuna doesn’t have any say in this and that she can’t keep hiding this part of their past anymore. The stress of wondering what her family is going to say in response scares her so very much.

“No,” Reborn replies, keeping her in the corner of his eyes as he looks through the house. Once they finally reach the kitchen, he takes a seat on one of the barstools and pulls off his hat, sitting it next to him on the counter. “I have enough information now.”

By that, she knows he means their routines and habitual behaviors. It’s another reminder that Reborn is not only scary, but he’s also thorough. 

“I see,” Nana says, tapping her fingers on the counter. She then sweeps over to the stove, picking up the kettle. “Would you like some tea or some coffee?” She asks out of obligation, but she knows what his answer will be. 

“Coffee, if you’d be so kind.” Reborn’s eyes glint, lips curling upward. 

“Of course,” she replies, moving around the space to prepare two mugs of coffee. She has a feeling she’s going to need it.

They sit in relative silence. In the end, it is not him who breaks it.

“And you’re sure it has to be Tsuna?” She asks, unable to stop herself. “Surely Timoteo has kids that could fill the role?” 

“I’m merely doing a favor,” Reborn answers, hand coming out to grasp the mug she pushes towards him. “If you truly wish to argue with the choice made, I’d suggest speaking to Timoteo himself.” 

“You know he won’t give me any answers.” Nana’s hands clench around her own cup, unbothered by the heat. 

“Do I want to repeat myself when your son comes home? No,” Reborn says, tipping his head forward as he examines the coffee. She didn’t poison it, but she knows from his line of work that it’s something that’s become a habit. She doesn’t take offense to it. However, him withholding this information is enough to irk her.

She doesn’t notice she’s stopping smiling, but Reborn certainly has. 

“I may not have a quirk and I may not have any real fighting experience, Reborn, but I’m a mother,” she replies. “And I will do what it takes to protect my family. I don’t care if you have to repeat yourself. I want to know why.”

It seems as though that was what he was waiting for, because he smirks behind the smug, taking an extra long sip. Her annoyance is a source of amusement to him, but there’s begrudging respect there behind that mischief, she can tell. 

“If I said the sons were dead…” Reborn pauses, raising an eyebrow.

“I’d fly to Italy and wring that old man’s neck for daring to assume I’d allow him to throw Tsuna into such a dangerous position when he’s twelve,” Nana replies, as though she’s reading off that day’s weather forecast. 

“Hm,” Reborn hums, smirk widening. “Well, they’re not. Even if they were, though, Tsuna would be well protected. He didn’t send me to do nothing, after all.”

“Don’t care,” Nana says. “His sons are much, much older and in a better position to inherit Vongola. Why a twelve-year-old civilian? Why not Iemitsu? Why not any of Timoteo’s sons, if they’re still alive?” 

“Iemitsu’s already the boss of an allied organization, it would look incredibly shady.” Reborn twists his index finger around a curly sideburn, giving it a tug and letting it snap back. “Xanxus is the boss of a branch working for the Vongola, so he’s in the same position as Iemitsu, though I suspect some sort of rebellion towards Timoteo over withholding the fact he’s adopted from him.” 

Nana can feel the anger building. Tsuna doesn’t seem to be getting a choice, but everyone else is? 

“Please wait until your son comes home,” Reborn says, sensing her rising anger. He leans back in his seat, throwing a leg over his other one. “I’ll explain it all then.”

* * *

Chattering coming from the kitchen cuts off when the door is opened. Tsuna’s intuition has been pinging all day and it’s practically screaming at him when he and his brothers step into the house. Danger, it says to him. He almost turns back around and leaves, but if his mom is here, then he’s not leaving her here to deal with it alone. 

He kicks off his shoes, noticing another pair next to his mama’s, and shuts the door behind him. He’s not the only one who seems to sense the tense atmosphere, as Hitoshi and Izuku have stopped having a conversation about All Might. Tsuna hadn’t participated much in that conversation, only offering some theories he’s read about on some forums (it’s kind of funny how invested Izuku gets in them). 

Tsuna lugs his backpack through the hall and towards the living room. Normally he’d take it up to his room, but he’s much more curious about what’s going on in the kitchen. He makes his way there, listening to Hitoshi and Izuku follow behind. 

Peeking his head in, he notices that Inko and Touya have made it back home- not a big shock, since they only went shopping after dropping them off at school. There is one thing that immediately catches his attention though. There’s a man sitting sideways on the barstool, a mug in his hand. His eyes are immediately drawn to the curly sideburns and the fancy suit. 

“Tsuna,” Nana greets, smiling. Tsuna has the sense that it is not a genuine smile. “Izuku, Hitoshi. Please have a seat in the living room. We’ll be right behind you.”

That’s strange, Tsuna thinks, but nods and does as she asks. Tsuna has not yet grown out of his shyness, and there’s a prickling sensation of being examined that makes it worse. He’s more than happy to duck out of the kitchen, back to the couches in the living room. 

He takes a seat next to his brothers, sitting on the outer cushions, room enough for Touya to sit beside them. Sure enough, Touya comes out holding a couple of juice packets that he passes to them. Tsuna hadn’t even noticed how thirsty he was until the packet was in his hand. 

Inko trails out next, a furrow on her brow. She looks as though she has no idea what this is about, but is going along with it because Nana asked her to. 

Their guest is the last one out, taking a seat on a recliner that has been positioned so as to keep his eye on all of them, and vice versa. It reminds Tsuna of business conferences. 

“My name is Reborn,” the man introduces himself, “and I’m your tutor.” He directs the last part at Tsuna, who tenses up.

“Nice to meet you, Reborn-san,” Inko says, folding her hands on her lap. She gets them all to introduce themselves, but Tsuna has a feeling that they didn’t need to. Call it a guess, but he thinks that this man knows who they all are, already.

“I’m not here just to tutor your son in academics,” Reborn says, putting his fedora on, effectively hiding most of his face. It’s not enough to cover the sharp and sudden smirk on his lips. “I’m here to raise him into the next generation boss of Vongola.”

Tsuna thinks he blacks out a little for a second because maybe he heard wrong. Vongola, as in the world-renowned vigilante organization? It used to be a secret until one of the bosses dragged it out of the darkness into the light, where it caught the attention of several heroes, internationally. 

“I’m sorry, Reborn-san, but I think I misheard you,” Tsuna speaks up, blinking his wide eyes at the man. Inko and his brothers are also in shock- he doesn’t blame them one bit.

“You didn’t,” Reborn replies, fingers twitching at his side. A lizard peeks out of his sleeve, coming to crawl around his hand. Tsuna senses danger from that combination, specifically, and shrinks back against the couch behind him. 

“There must be a mistake,” Inko says, biting her lip. “Did you know about this?” She turns to Nana, who looks away. 

“My ex-husband was a vigilante,” Nana admits. “I couldn’t say anything. Please believe me when I say I didn’t want to keep it a secret.”

The more Tsuna learns about his dad, the more he dislikes him. It curls in his chest, making him clutch at the front of his school uniform. 

“What if I say no?” Tsuna asks. “What if I become a hero instead?” He never wanted to be a hero- never wanted to be in a spotlight, where all his mistakes will be broadcasted to the world, where his dangerous quirk is ogled at. But… he’d much rather be a hero than a vigilante. 

“I suppose I can’t stop you then,” Reborn says, his thumb stroking the lizard’s back. Something pings about that, Tsuna realizes. It feels a lot like playing into Reborn’s hand. Does he want him to be a hero? “If we had another heir perfect for the job, I wouldn’t be here.”

“So, there’s no one else?” Tsuna asks. “Why me?”

“I’m only going to say this once,” Reborn says, leaning forward. He reaches into his coat with the hand not holding the lizard. He pulls out a folder and slides it onto the coffee table in front of them, flipping it open. There’s what looks like a family tree inside. He can hear Nana’s sharp inhale.

“That… that bastard.” Nana covers her mouth, looking frustrated. Inko reaches over to put a hand on her shoulder. “He finally sent the paperwork! That… _asshole_. I asked for it years ago.”

It’s the first time Tsuna’s ever heard her curse.

Reborn politely moves on.

“When quirks were first discovered, Giotto- your great, great, great, great grandfather- was among the few to first become heroes,” Reborn says, sliding the family tree across the table towards Tsunayoshi. “When laws started cracking down on quirk usage, Giotto was labeled a vigilante. Out of spite, he created Vongola and modeled it after the mafia. Unfortunately, after retiring, the second boss of Vongola took vigilantism to heart.” 

Reborn doesn’t have to elaborate on what that means. Like all organizations, corruption happens, and it’s probably because of that specific boss that Vongola is seen as something to be feared. If the other bosses were like that second one… Regardless, Tsuna wants no part of this.

“The current boss of Vongola no longer wishes to see it continue its dark path and the only suitable heir in mind is you, Tsunayoshi.”

“I’m twelve,” Tsuna says, flatly.

Reborn grins, deadly, but there’s amusement in his gaze.

“You don’t inherit Vongola until you’re eighteen, which gives me time to whip you into shape. I’m looking forward to it,” he replies.

“So I don’t get a say at all?” Tsuna frowns to himself, grabbing onto Izuku’s hand. His brother squeezes back, offering comfort.

“No,” Reborn says, plucking the folder off the table. “Lesson one starts tomorrow.” He hands the papers to Nana, who holds them in a tight, angry grasp.

Tsuna has a feeling that life is going to change drastically from here on out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one’s kinda angsty, but it gets better, okay? It just takes time. On that note, I hope you all enjoy!! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and leaving your support! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

It all comes down to bad luck, is what Tsuna is coming to realize. His intuition tells him that there’s more to this situation than Reborn’s given them all, but he doesn’t even have a chance to pry, because he shortly discovers that his new home tutor is a chaotic entity hellbent on making him suffer.

The only hope he had of surviving Reborn’s hellish first lesson was Tsuna’s incredible denial of reality at that moment. He goes through the tests, from physicality to academics, one he’s lacking in more than the other. There are times where Tsuna fears for his life, but any twitch of the hand is stifled by his mama checking in on them. She’s eerily good at sensing when Reborn’s patience is running thin. He is eternally grateful for her instincts.

What’s weird is that Reborn has slipped into the family as though he was there from the start and it’s only been two days. He’s charmed himself into Inko’s good graces, despite her extreme reluctance of having him in the house, training Tsuna into becoming the boss of a vigilante group. 

Touya’s more hesitant, outright stating his distrust and giving the man more attitude than Tsuna’s ever witnessed coming from his older brother. 

Izuku’s played into Reborn’s hand when the man takes interest in his analyzation skills of quirks (including what he’s written down about Tsuna’s quirk). Tsuna would think Reborn was even becoming fond of Izuku if he didn’t know better- it’s all a matter of how this will with benefit Tsuna and he hates it. 

Hitoshi is on the fence, skirting around him as though he’s a lion in the living room, which Tsuna feels isn’t too far off from the truth if anyone asks him.

As much as Tsuna does not want this strange man near his siblings, he does have to acknowledge that Reborn is a treasure trove of knowledge. He’s especially good at math- Tsuna’s worse subject- and has revealed that he has a Ph.D. (or two. He doesn’t know, he may or may not have stopped listening to him at that point, busy contemplating how this is his life now). If anything, Tsuna gets the sense that Reborn’s easily bored and has thus since mastered everything he’s gotten his hands on for the sake of doing things just because he can. 

Regardless, so much as changed that Tsuna’s having a hard time wrapping his head around it, and his siblings aren’t helping. At all. They’re- well, he can’t blame him, but their sudden reluctance to be around him or include him in _anything_ has made Tsuna feel as though he’s standing alone in all this. It was already stressful enough to know that he doesn’t have a choice (a thing he will never stop fighting, of course). 

He gets it. To a point. They want to be heroes. Can you really become a hero if your brother becomes the boss of a wanted Italian vigilante organization? Not that Tsuna really _wants_ to inherit it. 

Tsuna also hates how Izuku had to point out that even if Tsuna became a hero, he’d get his license revoked if they ever found out about his ties to the Vongola, so that’s… that’s just great. Now he can’t even become a hero! Because the second he’s found out, it’s over for him. 

The one person he can count on to be there for him is Nana, right now, who has been more touchy-feely, as though she’s trying to make up for something that isn’t her fault. Inko still loves him, but Tsuna is… Well, surely everyone knows he can pick up on even the most subtle of things, right? So, of course, he’s going to notice the way her hand pauses before ruffling his hair. He’s going to notice the pauses before she speaks to him. The way the room freezes up when he steps into it. It hurts. 

Luckily, he doesn’t even have time to think about it, because, after Reborn’s first lesson, Tsuna is kicked out of the house to do some training. For starters, it’s just running around a couple of blocks. Tsuna’s glad that he isn’t too out of practice with running from bullies, otherwise, he suspects he would have passed out a couple of streets ago. 

As it is, he stops just before a grocery store, crouching over to put his hands on his knees as he huffs for air. He feels disgusting, covered in sweat, but in a way, he feels good. He’ll never admit it, though; he feels like that’d just give Reborn incentive to be worse and there’s no way he’s letting that happen. 

He runs a hand through his hair and then makes his way into the store. With his allowance, he purchases a drink and takes a few gulps of juice before he starts walking. He suspects that if he’s much later, Reborn will have his head when he gets home. For all he knows, the vigilante could be hiding amongst the alleys, watching. He only says this because it’s happened once already when he’d started to slow down. He’s sure people across town could have heard his shriek of terror.

Getting closer to his house, hesitation seeps through him. He’s not used to feeling dread when he’s on his way home. 

Though his intuition screams at him that it’s a bad idea to keep Reborn waiting, he takes a side street and heads to a park instead. He knows he has problems with avoidance, but he’s not sure if he wants to face his problems just yet. He doesn’t want to see Touya turn away again, doesn’t want to see Izuku’s furrowed brows, nor does he want to watch Hitoshi tense up. He doesn’t want to watch Inko force herself to talk to him. He doesn’t want to see Nana’s sad eyes when she sees all of this happen and can do nothing to stop it.

Ugh, great, he thinks. He just made himself sad again. He kicks at a few rocks and finds an empty swing, plopping down on it with a sigh. He sits there and pushes himself with his foot, but doesn’t go very high with his drink still in his hand. His musing is interrupted when someone takes a seat on the swing next to him.

Tsuna’s head snaps up and meets a familiar red-eyed gaze. Enma smiles, but it’s tentative, gauging Tsuna’s mood. He’s not the only observant one.

“I’ve never seen you like this before,” Enma notes, reaching over to snag Tsuna’s juice. He takes a sip of it, then hands it back. Tsuna, having long since gotten used to Enma’s ‘sharing’, lets this happen. 

“It’s- nothing,” Tsuna says. The fib tastes dry in his mouth, but he’s never been a big fan of sharing his problems. It’s a habit he shares with Izuku- or maybe all his siblings, now that he thinks about it. 

“That so?” Enma pulls a foot up to his chest, awkwardly crouched on his swing. “Doesn’t look like nothing.” 

“It’s… You’re not going to believe me,” Tsuna replies, rubbing under his nose. He’s not sure he wants to lose Enma, too. If his siblings were acting like _that_ , he doesn’t wanna know what Enma will do. But he has to admit that it is tempting to have a friend know what’s going on, to maybe even offer some insight as to what he should do.

"Your moms obtained custody of the number two hero's eldest son and you're telling me that I won't believe you?" Enma raises an eyebrow. It’s so nice to see Enma’s newfound confidence (that’s only displayed around his friends, but still). On the other hand, it just means that Enma can sass him to his heart’s content. 

“Um. Point.” Tsuna bites his lip, then sighs. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?” 

Tsuna doesn’t want this spread around. Not that he thinks his friend would, but… better safe than sorry. Enma holds out his pinky. Tsuna laughs a little but hooks his own around Enma’s and they shake on it. 

Enma waits for Tsuna to continue, but his eyes have sharpened with something thoughtful.

“Do you know the Vongola?” Tsuna asks. Enma nods, indicating that Tsuna can continue. “Okay, well, let’s say hypothetically your dad’s boss wants you to inherit it and he sends a tutor to shape you into the boss it needs? And your family is full of aspiring heroes, so they’re reluctant to interact with you because you’re well on your way to becoming a criminal whether you get a hero’s license or not?”

“Hypothetically, I’d ask, ‘you too, huh?’” Enma grips the chains of the swing beside him as his gaze averts towards the ground in front of them. 

Tsuna whips his head towards his friend so fast, he gets dizzy.

“What do you mean by that?” He asks. 

“You’re looking at the hypothetical heir of the vigilante organization known as Simon,” Enma replies. Tsuna watches as his friend’s face scrunches in distaste. “Apparently Simon worked closely with Vongola, so I guess my dad would be ecstatic to hear I’ve already made connections with Vongola’s future boss.”

“I’m kinda glad I’m not alone, but… I’m sorry.” Tsuna wonders if Enma’s going to tell Izuku and Hitoshi about this later, or if it’s their secret for now. “What are you going to do?”

“I think I’m still going to try to apply for U.A,” Enma says. When Tsuna looks over in surprise, he smiles. “Izuku’s rubbed off on me, I think. Grandiose dreams of saving people and all that. Sounds a lot better to try changing Simon than letting it drag me down to its criminal depths.” 

“Even if your license would be revoked if people found out?” Tsuna asks. It’s been on his mind since Izuku had brought it up. 

“Yeah,” Enma confirms. “Because I’d have been a hero, even for a little bit. Besides, after I change Simon, that vigilantism will stray from hurting to saving people.”

He has to admit that Enma has a point, but there’s one last thing bothering him.

“I never wanted to be a hero, but now it feels like…” Tsuna shrugs, not sure how to finish that.

“Now it feels like you have to be one or become a vigilante?” Enma guesses. “You know, there are different kinds of heroes out there and vigilantes can be a type of hero.”

At Tsuna’s side eye, Enma laughs, but it’s more of an exhale of air than anything.

“Underground pros, so you’re not in the spotlight. Oh, and rescue heroes,” Enma says. “You don’t have to be sure of what you want right away. U.A’s entry applications for us are, like, three years from now. Just think about it, but don’t stress yourself out. If your tutor’s similar to how mine is, you’re going to be too busy to worry.”

“Thanks, Enma.” Tsuna gets up off the swing and pulls his friend into a hug. It feels nice to have some sort of physical contact that isn’t from his mama. Enma squeezes him before he lets go. 

“I have errands to run, so I’ll catch you later, but you can always text me,” Enma says, while walking backward. Tsuna nods and waves, watching him walk off. 

With a small burden off his shoulders, he checks his phone and catches sight of the time. He keeps himself from panicking, but only barely. He runs the rest of the way home and is not in the least bit surprised when Reborn makes him do push-ups as punishment for being late.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was chapter was supposed to be something else entirely, but I’m actually happy with how it came out! Let me know what you think.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and leaving your support! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

Three days after his chat with Enma, texting him whenever he’s free becomes something of a reprieve. Still, he misses his long conversations about quirks with Izuku, the comfortable silences with Hitoshi, the playful jabs with Touya, and especially the gardening talks with Inko. The only thing stopping him is the awkward tension that permeates the household still. He spends more and more time training outside of the house, which seems to please Reborn.

It’s on one such outing that he finds himself weaving through a crowd of people. Today’s training is a form of dodging and he has to get through as many people as he can without touching a single one. It’s making him look really strange, but he’s already accepted this- he knows Reborn has worse up his sleeve and if he protested, Reborn would pull one of those training exercises out. Tsuna sucks up his reluctance and continues forward.

It doesn’t help that every time he does brush against someone, Reborn makes him start all over again. If anyone wants to know what a demon looks like, Tsuna would point his finger at the tutor and say “close enough”. 

He wonders if Enma has to deal with the this, but can’t pull out his phone to ask. He’s been relying on his intuition for the exercises and Reborn must have known because he told him to stop relying on that alone for dodging. It’s more difficult than imagined and the conflict between trying not to listen to it while it’s pinging off at everything is giving him a headache.

He can see why it’s a requirement, but that doesn’t make it suck any less.

It’s at this point that he can no longer ignore his intuition screaming at him and he lets it lead him to a side road. He’s pressed a hand against his temple as if it could ward off the throbbing of his headache. He doesn’t know where he’s going. He glances at a reflective surface and feels his pulse skyrocket. The fact that he can see Reborn following means that the man is letting him know that he’s there and it’s terrifying.

It feels like he’s a mouse being tracked by a hungry cat and Reborn’s telltale narrowed gaze says he’s not happy at all. Still, he’s following his instincts- something important is about to happen around here and his intuition is demanding that he be there to… to… what? That’s strange. He should know what he’s going to be there for.

It’s this alley, he thinks, feeling a rising dread that has nothing to do with his intuition. The alley itself should be lit, but it’s shadowed unnaturally. There’s an eerieness coming from inside. The air is chilled and Tsuna half expects to start seeing his own breath. He wants to turn away, but he knows he’ll regret it if he does. He steps closer and reaches out to the entrance of the alley, hand dipping through the air. It feels heavy, as though there’s supposed to be a solid wall there, but Tsuna’s seeing right through it. 

He presses against the heaviness and when he gets through, there’s a small suction sound. He trips over his own feet, yelps, and lands on the floor, scraping at his palms. He picks himself up and looks around, seeing a few dark puddles in front of him. Something tells him that that’s not water. He brushes his hands off on his thighs and tentatively steps further into the alley. He doesn’t sense Reborn anymore, which is weird, but any further thoughts about that are gone the moment he sees _her_.

At first, he thinks it’s a bundle of clothes by some boxes, but then there’s movement. She looks up with a singular wide eye, purple in color- her other one is covered by a patch. Her hair is also purple, done up in a style he’d relate to a pineapple, though it’s getting long at the ends as though it’s been quite some time since she last got it cut. Her clothes are dirty and ripped, enough for him to see that there are some scratches along her side. She’s pressing her hands down against her leg, though, so Tsuna knows that there’s probably a worse wound there.

Though every part of him is screaming to help her, he makes his approach slow. She watches with suspicion and once he’s within an arm’s reach, he stops and crouches. 

“Can I help?” Tsuna asks, not yet holding his hands out. He lets her think about it and adds, “I won’t hurt you, I promise. I just want to help.”

“Um, I s-should be fine,” the girl says, hands pressing more firmly against her leg, knuckles turning white. “I don’t want to.. B-bother you.”

“It’s not a bother,” Tsuna replies, eyebrows drawing together. He wants to know who would even say such a thing to someone but knows firsthand that bullies exist in all shapes and sizes. He won’t make assumptions, but she’s clearly been neglected, what with how thin she is. “I’m going to pull out some bandages, okay?”

He waits for her to nod before he reaches into his pockets. He hadn’t wanted her to think he was going to pull out some sort of weapon. He pulls out a tiny first aid kit that he’s taken to carrying around. He’s clumsy enough as is, but Enma is arguably worse about getting injured, and Izuku isn’t exempt from that. Now he never leaves the house without one and has taken to stocking up on supplies with his own allowance, so he doesn’t worry his moms.

He pops open the kit and starts pulling out some wipes, some antiseptic cream, and eventually some bandages. After a moment, he also pulls out some gloves and pulls them on. He remembers having gotten scraped from the ground and doesn’t want to put any dirt on her wounds when he’s trying to help. That’s just a great way for them both to get infections or something. 

“Can I see your leg?” Tsuna asks, scooting a little bit closer. She hesitates but moves her hands away and Tsuna keeps his hissed inhale as quiet as he can. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not great either. At least it won’t need stitches, because Tsuna lacks experience in that area.

He’s careful about wiping down the wound and bandaging it, methodically getting to the rest of them. 

“How’d this happen? Oh, um, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Tsuna really just wants to distract her from what he’s doing, but her eye has been on his hands with a laser-sharp focus, so it’s rather futile to hope for. 

“It’s alright,” she says, softly. In fact, it’s so soft, he has to strain his hearing a little. “I was… I was hungry.” She ducks her head a little, chin touching her chest. She looks away, ashamed.

“What happened?” Tsuna prods. He has part of the puzzle solved, but he needs the rest of the pieces. Although he can already guess what occurred, he wants to make sure he’s right. 

“I got caught… stealing,” she admits. She says it as though the words hurt and he feels his chest ache for her. 

“So they hurt you?” Tsuna is disgusted that someone could see a starving child and hurt them because they attempted to get food. Sadly, it’s not uncommon, but it makes him sick. 

“I’m alright,” she says, shaking her head. He can feel the way she closes herself off from this topic and backs off. 

“I’m Midoriya Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna.” The introduction is late, but it’s better than never. He pulls the gloves off his hands and stands up, heading over to the dumpster to throw them away. When he gets back, he gets the girl’s name in return.

“Dokuro Chrome.” She doesn’t quite smile, but the color’s returned to her cheeks. He offers to help her stand and she lets him tug her up. Tsuna quickly scoops up his first aid kit and puts it back into his pocket, before getting an idea. 

“Hey, follow me.” Tsuna backs towards the alleyway entrance. Although she looks like she’s going to run away, curiosity takes hold and she follows him all the way to the convenience store he saw a block away. (He idly notes that the darkness of the alley abided when she left and wonders if that’s part of her quirk, but doesn’t ask). When she slows, he gently tugs at the sleeve of her shirt. She must see something reassuring on his face because she doesn’t stop, even when they pass through the doors of the store.

It’s not much, but he goes through some aisles, grabbing things that might last for a long time without a fridge or freezer, distracting her with stories about his family and his tutor. His intuition says she’s not alone, so he gets things that are relatively large, and by the time he checks out, he’s used up the rest of his allowance on food for her and her companions.

He ignores her protests when he gets outside the store, instead of handing the bags over to her.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, okay?” Tsuna smiles. “Anyone would have done the same.”

Chrome gives him a skeptical look, but stops protesting, taking the heavy bags into her hands. He’d have offered to carry them back for her, but knows without asking that she would deny him (likely out of him not wanting to see where she’s been staying, which is understandable). 

“It was nice to meet you, Dokuro-san,” Tsuna says. Chills run down his back as he spots a distinct figure in a black suit waiting on the block corner for him. “Hopefully I’ll see you again.” 

“Thank you, Tsuna-san,” Chrome says, softly. He watches as she walks off, her form fading into crowds of people getting off work. 

It’s then that he realizes how late it is. Oh no. He’s done it again, he thinks. He can’t avoid his fate, though, and starts walking towards Reborn. Still, he doesn’t feel too bad about his detour. Helping someone had felt… good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there’s anything you wanna see in future chapters, feel free to leave some suggestions. I’m always taking into account the things you say! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, thanks for reading and leaving your support! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

When it’s too much to handle, it goes like this: 

Tsuna wakes up on Thursday and watches his family. He watches Hitoshi sit across from him, diagonally, so they don’t have to face each other. Izuku’s eyes are on his plate. Inko’s back is turned, focusing on her hands as she towels a glass- the same one she’s been drying for three minutes now. Touya is hovering inside kitchen entryway. 

Do they think he doesn’t notice? 

He pushes his plate away from him, appetite lost. 

“I didn’t ask for this,” Tsuna says, just loud enough for them all to hear. He watches Inko’s back stiffen. Izuku’s eyes jerk upwards, Hitoshi ducks his head. Touya jumps. 

“It’s like,” You guys don’t know me, he does not say, “you think this is something I wanted.”

There’s a lot more he wants to vent, but he leaves it at this and picks up the backpack next to his chair, shouldering it. He purposefully ignores the sound of Inko’s protests and walks out the door. He’s perfectly capable of walking to school and anything is better than being confined to the backseat of the car when clearly no one wants to be around him.

“Dramatic,” Reborn remarks, trailing behind him from who knows where. When Tsuna doesn’t reply to that with anything other than a dirty look, the tutor clicks his tongue. 

Tsuna wants many things and silence is one of them, which is something Reborn seems to respect because he has nothing else to add after that. Instead, Tsuna feels something being placed on his shoulder. Before he can ask or even see what it is, Reborn rounds another corner, the opposite of where Tsuna needs to go. Just like that, the elusive vigilante is gone. 

Tiny lizard feet grasp onto his school uniform. He startles, realizing the tutor left Leon behind. As far as Tsuna knows, the man’s never gone anywhere without him. He doesn’t know how to feel about this, but when the lizard crawls into his cupped hands, he already feels a little bit better about how this morning went.

“It’s a shame I can’t be a lizard,” Tsuna says to Leon. “All you have to do is eat and sleep.”

Leon flicks out his tongue, licking his own eye. Tsuna’s nose scrunches. Maybe it’s not so much a shame.

“Since you’re Reborn’s, please don’t get me into any trouble at school. It’s the last thing I need today,” Tsuna says. Leon tilts his head and Tsuna smiles to himself, unable to help it. Well, at least Leon’s cute. 

* * *

Try as Tsuna might, it was hard to focus on schoolwork when his mind’s full of other things, such as, well, the whole Vongola thing. Oh and that he snapped at his family this morning. He really should have tried to pay attention, considering the only tutoring that he’s been getting is from Reborn (and although Reborn’s looked as though he wanted to hit him upside the head a few times, he’s been patient, but it’s not comparable to how much fun he has when he’s doing homework with his siblings).

At least he’s managed to keep Leon hidden all day and when school let out, he made his way to the park, where he is followed by Reborn. He takes a seat on a bench, soaking up as much reprieve from training as he can. He doesn’t know why he does, but there are still questions to be answered, so he asks;

“Is there anything I should know that you haven’t told me?”

Reborn tilts his head, pushing up his hat a little to examine Tsuna’s face. Tsuna gets the sense that he’s gauging him and the things he should reveal. 

“Plenty,” Reborn finally answers. He holds out his hand and Leon clings to his fingers when Tsuna hands him over.

“Can you tell me any of it?” 

“I suppose I can reveal to you that every Vongola boss has bodyguards of sorts. They’re called guardians,” Reborn says. He trails a finger down Leon’s back, watching the chameleon with a glint of amusement when the lizard’s eyes close in content.

“Guardians?” Tsuna asks. Bodyguards for the boss makes sense, but he assumes it’s much deeper than that. 

“They’re linked to you through rings passed down generations of bosses and guardians alike. The creator of the rings ensured that there’s a connection between the wearers- a bond of sorts.”

“Was that, uh, their quirk?” Tsuna asks, turning his body to face Reborn. 

“Who knows?” Reborn looks out over the park. He then changes the topic by saying, “I was hoping you’d have more friends, but I suppose I’ll have to scout some guardians out for you.”

“Wow,” Tsuna exclaims, offended. “I have enough friends, thank you very much.”

“It’s better this way, regardless,” Reborn continues, smirking. “In fact, I think I’ll wait until you finally decide on which high school you’re going to. Plenty of choices there.”

“What are you even going to do?” Tsuna asks, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Go through all the students and pick the ‘worthy’ ones?”

“Exactly what I planned on doing,” Reborn says, patting the mess of hair on Tsuna’s head. 

“I suppose I should be glad you’re not choosing anyone from my current school- wait. Why am I going along with this? I don’t need guardians. Besides, if I go to a hero school, I can’t drag anyone into the Vongola! They’d be in the same boat as me! They’re civilians!”

(Tsuna has a second to imagine Reborn choosing Bakugou as his guardian and shivers from the intense dislike of that thought, something Reborn doesn’t fail to notice). 

Tsuna’s lips are pinched closed by Reborn’s fingers. Tsuna squints his eyes into a glare, but Reborn ignores him.

“You’re in a position where, once in power, you can change the Vongola for good,” Reborn says. “It won’t be fast and you’ll definitely have to be careful, but once you’re the boss, you’ll have access to all names of people involved in the organization. What’s stopping you from turning them over to the police if they don’t get their hero licenses? Besides, who’s to say all of your guardians will be civilians?”

Reborn removes his fingers, but Tsuna’s intuition blares- screaming at him to keep quiet.

“You’ll need guardians to keep you safe while you make those changes,” Reborn finishes, standing up from the bench. “It’s a lot to ask for a civilian, let alone one your age, but by the time I’m through with you? You’ll be the best boss Vongola’s ever seen.”

Tsuna protests, but it’s drowned out by Reborn’s request (read: demand) that he get up and run some laps. 

* * *

Tsuna gets home at five in the evening, legs burning from his workout. He’s seen the results, though. He can run longer and further than when he first started. He still attends martial arts (something Reborn’s approved of) and his balance is better. 

If he had any hopes of being able to quietly sneak away to his bedroom, it proves to be futile, because Nana appears at the entryway. Her arms are folded across her chest and there’s a furrow in her brow. It’s weird seeing her without a smile and he can only feel like he’s the one at fault for that.

“Tsu-kun, can you come to the living room? Family meeting,” Nana says, eyes flicking from Reborn to Tsuna. “Dinner will be served after. I expect to see you both there.”

Reborn nods once and makes his way towards the hall, leaving Tsuna to the wolves. Steeling his nerves, he follows his mom into the living room, where everyone has indeed gathered. He picks a spot on one of the farther chairs so he can see the others clearly.

“I wanted to start this off by apologizing,” Inko starts, standing up. Her hands are clasped, a frown on her trembling lips. “I’ve been so lost in my thoughts that I neglected to see how I was treating you, Tsuna. It was a lot to take in and it reflected on my actions. For that, I’m so sorry.” By now, tears have started dripping down her cheeks. 

“Ah, um, it’s okay,” Tsuna says, only to be interrupted by Hitoshi’s scoff.

“Shut up and take the apology,” Hitoshi says. “I’m sorry. I guess I thought- no, I don’t know what I thought. Sorry.”

“Well, gee, if we’re all doing this now,” Touya drawls, from where he’s lounging on the couch, legs thrown over Izuku’s lap. “I’m sorry, too. I should have known better. You scream, like, every time you see spiders and bats. You’re always there when we need you. If anyone can be a hero and fight against becoming a vigilante boss, it’s you, I guess.”

“I’m also sorry,” Izuku chimes in. “I know you didn’t ask for any of this and I treated you unfairly for it. We’re family. We have to stick together.”

Tsuna coughs to disguise his sob, but he doesn’t think it works when everyone starts crowding him into a pile. What else can he do but forgive them right away? He loves them- they’re his everything. 

He spends the rest of the evening helping with dinner and then, later, crowded together on the sofa watching terrible scary movies that will no doubt haunt his dreams when he next goes to sleep. He wouldn’t change a thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsuna can sometimes make friends. It's been known to happen at least once.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and leaving your support! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

Things are a lot better after that night. Plus, it probably helped that Tsuna announced his decision to try and get into U.A. He knows it made Izuku’s night, and Hitoshi had a small smile, too. He feels better now that he knows he can talk to his family without any major awkwardness. Still, life with Reborn continues to get stranger.

Tsuna pinches himself, trying to make sure he’s not still asleep. Unfortunately, it seems he’s fully awake, and he is indeed following Reborn who is dressed as a stereotypical tourist. Yes, complete with the floral button down and… ugh… the socks and sandals. There’s even a camera around his neck. 

Tsuna’s noticed that when Reborn’s dressed up in his costumes, he’s the only one who seems to see through them. Even his family is fooled! Tsuna thinks it might be that his intuition is helping him, but if it’s not that, then he has no idea how Reborn gets away with it. He’s still scarred from the time Reborn dressed up as an old lady- the number of people who pinched his cheek for helping his ‘grandmother’ across the road is shudder-worthy.

At least this explains why no one’s called the police on Reborn for walking around as a wanted vigilante. And by the look on Reborn’s face, Tsuna would bet his entire allowance on the fact that his tutor enjoys being so close to one phone call away from a swarm of pro heroes. Tsuna doesn’t understand him. 

Currently, they’re walking downtown. Reborn’s taken to pointing out specific people and having Tsuna recite everything that his intuition tells him about them. By now, his head is killing him and he wants to crawl back into bed, but alas; unless he wants to suffer some ridiculous punishment, he can’t.

Tsuna dreads the day when he’ll have to show off the other aspects of his quirk, especially when he doesn’t have any support gear to help him. 

Reborn pauses, so subtle that Tsuna almost doesn’t notice it. Before he has a chance to comment on it, Reborn points to a passerby with white hair and a purple mark under lavender eyes. Tsuna’s intuition pings intrigue and warning so loudly that Tsuna flinches, clasping his hands over his ears as though it’d help. 

The movement attracts the attention of the stranger, who is visibly shocked for only a moment before he starts moving over towards them. Tsuna spends too long trying to decide if he should run away. By the time he’s even close on deciding he should, the stranger is in front of him. Tsuna stands there, gaping with his hands over his ears.

The stranger reaches out and pulls his hands away. Tsuna flinches in surprise, but the grasp is gentle. He notes that his hands are still being held. Reborn, the traitor, is letting this happen with an air of confused amusement, but he seems wary. 

“Um?” Tsuna looks down at their hands clasped together. He’s pretty sure you don’t do this to someone you don’t know.

“I’ve been looking for you, Tsunayoshi-kun,” the stranger coos. “I never would have suspected how hard it would be to find you. Did you move away from Namimori?”

Tsuna’s hackles raise at that. 

“How do you-”

“My bad,” the stranger interrupts. “My name is Byakuran. Part of my quirk grants me… important information. You, Tsunayoshi-kun, are very important.” 

“Oh, uh, nice to meet you?” It’s not very nice- it’s weird and unnerving. Tsuna wishes he hadn’t climbed out of bed this morning. 

Byakuran smiles, eyes gleaming. His intuition says it’s genuine. Byakuran truly is happy to have found him.

“Let’s be friends,” Byakuran suggests. He lets go of Tsuna’s left hand, holding his other as he begins to walk, tugging Tsuna with him. “Better than enemies, no? I think I’ve learned my lesson.”

He has no idea what any of that means. He looks back at Reborn, who is tense, hands in his pockets. Tsuna doesn’t need to guess that there’s a gun near his fingers. The thought does little to reassure him. 

“Where are we going?” Tsuna finally scrounges up the courage to ask. Byakuran swings their hands between them.

“It’s a surprise,” Byakuran hums, face upturned towards the sky, as though he’s basking in the rays of the sun. When he turns towards Tsuna, he feels his breath catch at the warmth and fondness Byakuran seems to have for him. It’s too much. Way too much for the strangers they are. 

* * *

Turns out the surprise destination is a sweet’s shop, where Byakuran picks out a couple of bags of marshmallows. Tsuna can practically feel the cavities building up in his mouth at the idea of eating so much sugar. Reborn’s been dutifully following them around and Byakuran’s ignored his presence the whole time. 

He’s still no closer to figuring out what Byakuran wants- it truly does just feel as though they’re hanging out as friends do. 

“You said something about your quirk earlier,” Tsuna says, itching under the hem of the beanie on his head. It’s not his. He borrowed it from Enma (and if anyone asks him, it definitely looks better on his friend, but whatever, it’s comfortable). 

“With all due respect, Tsunayoshi-kun, I’d prefer to be somewhere quiet to tell you about it,” Byakuran says. “Around here? Everything has ears.”

It’s weird that he says ‘everything’ and not ‘everyone’, but Tsuna supposes he has a point. There are people out there scouting for specific quirks, probably for nefarious purposes. That, or he doesn’t want to see the reactions that strangers will have if they overhear. Hitoshi has to deal with people being cautious about Brainwash (and if Tsuna could shield his brother from those looks, he would).

“Then can I ask why you wanted to find me?” Tsuna asks, putting his hands into his hoodie pocket. 

Byakuran painstakingly selects another bag of marshmallows, then turns to him. They stand there while Byakuran examines him from head to toe, then shakes his head.

“Not here. Patience, Tsunayoshi-kun,” he sings, turning on his heel to put the bags on the checkout counter. Tsuna heaves a sigh and trudges behind him.

The strangeness of this situation brings his mind back to when he met Chrome. He wonders if she’s doing alright. 

Tsuna’s brought out of his thoughts when Byakuran nudges him towards the door. They walk in silence until they make their way to a secluded park. From the way Byakuran looks around, he seems to have decided that the area if safe, and he plants himself under a tree, back facing the bark. He pats the grass next to him and Tsuna takes a seat, eager to finally get some answers.

“My quirk allows me to speak to my alternate selves from other universes,” Byakuran says. “Funnily enough, it’s not a quirk for all of them, but every one of my alternate selves has the ability.”

Tsuna wants to believe he’s lying, but his intuition would have told him. Which means everything that just came from Byakuran’s mouth was true. Of course.

“As for why I’ve sought you out… Enemies, friends. Something more, something less. We’ve always met in every universe and played a role in each other’s lives. Why should I have waited?” Byakuran rips open a bag of marshmallows and fumbles for the ones that immediately tumble out of the opening.

“Are you saying we were destined to meet eventually?” Tsuna asks, pulling his legs up to his chest. He takes a handful of marshmallows when the bag is offered over to him.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he replies. “I can’t say for sure how this life will play out, but upon the hundreds of timelines that look exactly like this one, I _can_ try to influence this one to have a positive outcome for the both of us. Isn’t that _fascinating_?”

“It sounds impossible,” Tsuna says, tugging on his bangs. “How do you keep track of it all?”

“Hardly do,” Byakuran says, leaning against Tsuna’s shoulder. “Feels like I’ve known you forever, but we’ve only just met.”

“Um, I hope this doesn’t sound rude but… was that the only reason you were trying to find me?” He asks. 

“Nope,” Byakuran says, popping his lips on the ‘p’. “My family owns a company that occasionally gets fielded requests to create particularly hard to create support items. One came in recently that reminded me of you. Something about gloves to prevent frostbite and burns from quirk usage?” 

There’s a knowing look on his face. Tsuna tilts his head.

“Do you know who sent in the request?” 

Byakuran finally turns his gaze over to Reborn, the first time he’s acknowledged his presence since they first met.

“Hm, I wonder,” he teases, then appears more serious. “I don’t know how fast I’ll be able to make the gloves myself. I need to find two specific individuals or you might have to resort to Vongola resources.”

“Can’t go through Vongola,” Reborn says. “All support items must be registered specifically through a legal company and as much as I hate it, Gesso’s the only one that fits the ‘legal’ aspect.”

“As legal as we can be.” Byakuran shrugs. “Shady deals pay handsomely, after all.”

Tsuna’s heard of Gesso before. It was one of the companies his mom passed over because of how expensive their support items could be. Considering Gesso isn’t even a support company, he can see why, but no one can deny the quality one gets when they go through Gesso.

“You work there?” Tsuna asks, tilting his head.

“Inheriting the company, more like, but unofficially? I already run the business,” Byakuran says. He throws a marshmallow up and catches it in his mouth.

What is it with him and his accumulation of various heirs? 

“Gesso isn’t, like, a vigilante organization, is it?” Tsuna asks, playing with his sleeves.

“Isn’t it more fun to keep some things a mystery?” Although it’s a question, Tsuna feels like it answers everything. 

“Enough business,” Byakuran says. “I want to know everything! From your mouth, not my alternate self’s.” 

Even though Tsuna still wishes he hadn’t left his bed this morning, Byakuran isn’t so bad when he’s genuinely invested in the things Tsuna has to say. It’s still tentative, but Tsuna thinks he’s made a new friend. Maybe.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reborn is always such a delight to write. Also, what's this? Plot? In my fic? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and leaving your support! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

After introducing Byakuran to his family (who were just as weirded out as he was about Byakuran’s ability to slide into their lives as though he’s been there forever) and his friends (Enma still doesn’t know what to make of their new white-hair companion), Tsuna’s life continues on. Reborn’s still having him do weird things in the name of ‘training’.

It’s actually why he’s outside at two in the morning with his brother, Hitoshi.

He’s been tasked to participate in a treasure hunt, with only a piece of paper with a clue on it telling them where to go next. When he asked why it was necessary for him to be doing this, Reborn had simply said that he needed to be prepared for anything at any time. 

(It’s a double-edged sword to be training his intuition so much, Tsuna thinks, feeling his head throb in time with his pulse.)

The worst part of it all is that there have been eyes watching them for the past five minutes and all Tsuna wants is to go back to his warm bed. He is at the very least comforted by the fact that Tsuna had been allowed to bring a sibling and who better than the resident insomniac of the family? Well, that, and Hitoshi offered. Tsuna wasn’t going to say no.

As reassuring as his presence is, he’s still jumpy, heart racing whenever something moves down an alley. He knows he has to look at the paper in his hand in case he misses what he’s looking for, but he doesn’t want to be distracted in the event someone might take it as an invitation to mug them.

Taking little peeks helps remind him of his goal, but then a shadow shifts around him and he loses his train of thought, repeating the process several times. Hitoshi isn’t much better, eyeing him by his side. 

It doesn’t help that the street is getting more narrow as they continue walking.

He stops under a streetlight, taking in the words on the crumpled piece of paper, steeling his nerves. The faster he gets this over with, the faster they can get home. 

_Some walk over, some walk under. Some will choose to burn me asunder._

What kind of clue is this, _Reborn_? Tsuna holds in a pathetic whimper and rubs his eyes, trying to think. When a pebble is kicked behind him, he whirls around and examines the empty road. His intuition stays silent and he lets his hackles down minutely, heaving a relieved sigh. 

Hitoshi grabs his sleeve, tugging to grab his attention. When Tsuna looks over, Hitoshi’s eyebrow is raised, almost impressively so.

“I still think we should sneak back into our house,” Hitoshi says, voice barely above a whisper. Tsuna agrees, but they both know it’s futile. When Reborn wants them to do something, they have to.

Izuku would be better at this, he thinks. He tugs at his bangs and looks around. 

“I’m so tired, I can’t think straight,” Tsuna murmurs. 

He ignores Hitoshi’s mutter of ‘could you ever?’ and starts walking again.

They come across a park and something nudges him to go head inside. They’re on the last clue and if this park has what they’re looking for, they can race home, and hopefully lose the person following them. It’s eerie that the person hasn’t done anything yet when they’ve had plenty of chances to reveal whatever they’ve been planning. What’s worse about the follower is that he knows it’s not Reborn.

They pass by some night blooming flowers. Funnily enough, he thinks they’re called Moonflowers. He reaches out to touch some of the petals as they pass them by.

Any other time and he would have been tempted to stay here for a while. The park is beautiful, with a small river running through it. There’s a bridge to the other side and plenty of trees that he suspects would make this place a great respite for the summer sun.

Wait a minute.

Bridge.

_Some walk over, some walk under. Some will choose to burn me asunder._

Accidentally a genius, Tsuna thinks, grabbing Hitoshi’s hand.

“I got it! The bridge. It’s got to be the bridge,” Tsuna says. You walk over or under bridges, and what’s that one saying? Burn your bridges? Whatever, it’s worth a shot.

“Or so we hope it is,” Hitoshi says, head peering over their shoulders. Tsuna hates when he does it because it makes him feel like he should be doing it too. It never helps when he looks back, though, because no one’s ever there. 

Tsuna speeds up a little when he sees a box sitting innocently on the bridge. He lets go of his brother and scoops the box into his hands. It’s light. Suspiciously so. With an overwhelming amount of dread that says this was all literally for nothing, he opens it. 

There’s nothing inside.

“I knew it,” Tsuna whines, leaning against his brother. Frustratingly, he can feel tears prickle at his eyes. He’s so tired and he’s been terrified for the past two hours! For no reason! 

Hitoshi groans next to his ear. 

“Let’s just take the box home. At least Reborn can’t deny that we found our ‘treasure’,” Hitoshi says, swiping the box from him. Tsuna lets him carry it as they start walking back.

Suddenly, Tsuna starts to feel like going back the way they came is a very bad idea. He stops and watches Hitoshi do the same. Tsuna looks around and his eyes catch on an oddly shaped shadow by some trees, next to the Moonflowers. Even from this distance, he can see what appears to be a hand, caressing some of the petals of a flower. 

Whether or not it was the same one Tsuna touched, he feels sick. 

“Why are we suddenly in a horror movie?” Hitoshi asks, finally catching sight of the figure. “This is the part where we run.”

“Only for me to trip and horrifically die,” Tsuna says, but backs up. 

Hitoshi doesn’t have time to admonish him for the terrible joke because they start running across the bridge. There’s no telling if they’ll be able to shake whoever’s behind them, but if they don’t try, Tsuna doesn’t want to think about what might happen.

“I have,” Hitoshi huffs, “terrible nightmares about this exact scenario.”

“That’s what you get for staying up late, watching horror movies,” Tsuna says, above the sound of his brother’s panting.

They won’t be able to keep running, Tsuna thinks. He’s barely got enough stamina as it is and Hitoshi doesn’t have any of the sort of training that Tsuna does. 

They’ll be lucky if they can make it to the police station. It’s only three blocks away, but he’s not optimistic about their chances.

As they round a corner, Tsuna has barely any time to avoid slamming into another figure in front of them. Hitoshi slams into his back and they both tumble to the floor, sprawled on the ground. 

Tsuna manages to shove his brother off to the side and look up at who they ran into. His stomach sinks at the sight of a scruffy man, with long scraggly black hair and dark eyes. His intuition tells him that he’s a danger, but not to them. It’s only slightly a relief. 

The man’s eyes move from them to behind them. Tsuna slowly turns his head to look that way too and sees the shadowy figure that had been trailing them for a better part of two hours. Tsuna gets up and moves Hitoshi behind him. 

They’re a lot closer now. Will they be able to outrun them?

“What are you two doing out here this late?” The scruffy man asks, eyes not once leaving the shadowy figure’s. In fact, the figure has backed off and is starting to leave now that there’s a witness. That doesn’t mean they’re safe though.

“Is that any of your business?” Hitoshi asks, dusting himself off. 

“Considering you’re children wandering around this early in the morning, I’d say it is,” the man replies.

Hitoshi rolls his eyes before his gaze gets caught on the scarf around the man’s neck. He freezes in place, before whispering, “Eraserhead?”

The man, Eraserhead, raises an eyebrow. He doesn’t confirm or deny, but does seem curious.

The name is familiar to Tsuna, who has spent many years listening to conversations about heroes. How could he not know his brother’s favorite pro hero? Underground, granted, but no less of a valid favorite.

If that’s who this is for sure, then maybe they _are_ safe.

“We were just on our way home,” Tsuna says, picking up the box that had flung itself from Hitoshi’s hands when they fell. 

“That guy’s been following us the whole time,” Hitoshi adds. 

“It’s not outside the duties of a hero to walk some kids home, I suppose,” Eraserhead says, looking as though he would prefer to do anything else. 

This makes Hitoshi happy regardless and Tsuna can’t protest, despite not wanting to take up the hero’s time. He can’t help glancing over at the man here and there on the way back home. 

Though Eraserhead is clearly tired, he dutifully remains aware of their surroundings and had, at one point, steadied Tsuna when he tripped over a rock he couldn’t see. Tsuna comes to the conclusion that kids may or may not be a soft spot for him. Maybe. He’s not entirely sure.

Once Hitoshi spots their house in the distance, he slumps his shoulders, disappointed. Tsuna rummages through his pockets to find a small notepad and pen, turning to Eraserhead. He doesn’t do this often, but if it helps his brother, he’s not above pulling out the ace from his sleeve. He widens his eyes and offers the notepad to the hero.

“Can you please sign this for Hitoshi?” Tsuna tilts his head towards his brother, whose head whirls around to look at him. 

Eraserhead looks at the two of them, head ducking into his scarf. Tsuna wonders if he’s hiding a smile. The hero grabs the notepad and the pen, scribbling something onto a page. He hands it over to Hitoshi instead of back to Tsuna, which he doesn’t particularly mind. 

“Thank you,” Hitoshi breathes, at the same time Tsuna says, “Thanks.”

The gate to their home opens. Reborn’s head pops out, obviously disguised as a middle-aged woman. 

Tsuna wants to scream, because Hitoshi quietly asks him, “Who’s that?”

Instead of responding to that, Tsuna turns to Eraserhead and bows. Eraserhead nods but doesn’t leave. He must be waiting for them to go inside, Tsuna realizes.

“There you are,” Reborn croons, sounding concerned. It’s fake, but he puts on a good show because Eraserhead’s tense shoulders relax. Only slightly, but it’s something. Tsuna hadn’t even realized the hero had been tense. “Where have you boys been? Get to bed, the both of you.”

They both wave to the hero and scramble towards the gate. 

“I hate you so much,” Tsuna whispers as he passes Reborn, who smirks. 

With the hunt over and the danger passed, Tsuna goes to bed and promptly falls asleep once his head hits the pillow. 

Reborn, from the doorway of his bedroom, frowns pensively.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsuna meets some interesting characters.
> 
> In other words, I've been working on another fic and I've been having a blast with it. If you like the sound of Tsuna as a cat helping Izuku, head on [over here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19118947/chapters/45432979) and give it a read.
> 
> As always, thanks for all the support!! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

A week after that night with the shadowy figure, Tsuna finally feels comfortable enough to say that it was probably just a mugger looking for an easy target, despite the screaming from his intuition about how wrong that seems. In truth, Tsuna doesn’t want to think about it and what that person’s intentions could have been. 

Even still, Tsuna, on his way to a coffee shop for Reborn’s order, can’t ignore his surroundings anymore. He’s been looking over his shoulder so much, he thinks some people are starting to worry about him. The idea of curbing his need for vigilance makes him feel wrong, itchy in a way. Not to mention that feeling of someone watching him. Last time, it had turned out to be Byakuran, but this time it doesn’t feel like his newfound white-haired friend.

This time, when he turns down a street that’s lesser used by crowds of people, he can pick up on the sound of footsteps. Normally he would ignore it- he’s not alone on this street, after all- but it’s familiar in a way it shouldn’t be. In fact, when he looks behind him again, he spots someone in a hoodie, ten feet behind him. He knows without a doubt that if he crosses the road, the person in the hoodie will join him. He wants to whine and go home, but he’s in a crowd. Surely the hooded figure won’t attempt anything with all these witnesses around?

Knowing he’s jinxed himself with those thoughts alone, he curses himself. It’s like asking that forboding ‘what’s the worst that could happen’ question. Why do these weird things always happen to him?

Tsuna hurries his pace and tries locating that coffee shop. In the minutes it takes for him to be distracted, looking at every sign he comes across, he gives his follower enough time to catch up without his knowledge. The warning comes too late, as the back of his shirt is caught within a couple fingers. He comes to an abrupt halt when the stranger behind him stops, in order to avoid choking from the collar of his shirt pulling taut against his neck.

“Don’t make a fuss,” the person hisses, letting go after putting a hand on Tsuna’s shoulder. He’s roughly turned around and he meets a startling shade of dark blue eyes, half hidden by the glare of rectangle shaped glasses. From the looks of him, Tsuna would guess that they’re the same age. 

“Um,” Tsuna says, unhelpfully. There are many things he wants to know, such as why he’s being stopped, why he was being followed. Instead, he settles on, “Can I help you?” 

“So troublesome,” the other boy says, with a harsh sigh. “You helped Chrome, right?” 

“Chrome?” Tsuna asks, before remembering that girl in the alley. “Oh, yes! I did. Why?”

“Great,” the boy says. Unfortunately, he doesn’t answer Tsuna’s questions. He wraps an arm around Tsuna’s shoulders and starts leading him down another side road. Presumably a shortcut for wherever he wants to go. Tsuna doesn’t immediately get a bad feeling though, so he goes with it. For now. He assumes that if he were ever in any real danger, Reborn would help him, however reluctantly.

After a few moments of silence, occasionally peppered with Tsuna’s unanswered questions, he asks, “What’s your name?” He doesn’t want to keep calling him ‘the other boy’ in his head. He had been tempted to ask where he’d gotten his beanie, but the name thing’s more important.

“Kakimoto Chikusa,” the stranger drawls, blinking dully. Now that Tsuna thinks about it, he _does_ seem extraordinarily tired. Much like his brother, Hitoshi.

“Nice to meet you,” Tsuna says, after introducing himself. Chikusa doesn’t do much more other than letting out a hum, signifying that Tsuna had been heard and that Chikusa probably doesn’t care.

They walk for a bit longer and Tsuna watches as the buildings become less modern the further they walk. In fact, they’re heading to a place that Tsuna knows is a little abandoned, due to the destruction and rebuilding of places damaged by villains. Well, not just villains, but also the heroes that fought them. 

Chikusa leads them into a gate, closing it behind them. Tsuna watches as Chikusa looks around with a careful gaze, hands twitching towards his pockets. He doesn’t want to know what might be in them. Now that Chikusa’s arm has left his shoulder, Tsuna _could_ run, but he was brought here for a reason and he can’t deny his curiosity.

The empty building they walk into is nothing short of a mess, with broken pieces of the wall littering the hallways. Scorch marks on the floor, evidence of a hastily put out fire. Boarded up windows. There’s still evidence of some cleaning taking place if the neat pile of garbage in one of the rooms they pass by says anything about it. 

Eventually, they get so deep into the building, Tsuna knows he’d have to rely on his intuition to help him escape, otherwise he’d get hopelessly lost. It’s about this point that Tsuna hears some talking coming from a set of double doors ahead of them. 

Chikusa halts, Tsuna stopping a few steps away from him. The door swings open and a head of blond hair sticks itself out. It’s another boy, the same age as them. His eyes are a light brown and he has a large expansive scar bridging across his nose, as well as his cheeks. Tsuna finds the clips in his hair oddly adorable, right up until he opens his mouth.

“Eh? He’s so small, byon,” the blond boy exclaims, pointing a finger at Tsuna. Tsuna can detect the hint of a lisp. “Are you sure you got the right guy?”

“Do you think I’d bring just anyone back here?” Chikusa asks, the first traces of emotion in his voice since Tsuna’s first met him. “Be a good dog and fetch your master.”

“ _Shut up_ , byon!” There’s a red flush spreading across the boy’s cheeks and Tsuna honestly can’t tell if it’s embarrassment or anger. “I’m not a dog!”

Even as he says this, the boy steps closer to Tsuna and leans into his face, examining him. Tsuna doesn’t hear it at first, but… is he _sniffing_ him? 

“Right, because that’s totally normal,” Chikusa says, deadpan. The corners of his lips twitch, though. 

“Whatever,” the boy says, leaning back. “Who uses milk and honey shampoo anyway?”

Tsuna, offended and at a loss for words, stares at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“Ken, let our guest in,” a voice calls from inside the room. 

In a rather interesting spin, the blond, Ken, backs off and perks up. He opens the doors wider and rather insistently pushes Tsuna inside.

Tsuna is greeted by the sight of a lived-in room, filled with dirty couches and sleeping bags available on the far side of the room. There’s an organized chaos of personal items strewn about the floor. In other words, it’s a home on the streets, and it belongs to the seven teens inside.

The room he steps into is filled with couches, sleeping bags, and the organized chaos of personal items strewn about the floor says that this place is well lived-in. Tsuna’s not judging, but he does find it sad that it screams of a home for the seven teens gathered around inside. Tsuna knows without a doubt that if they ever come over to his place, his mothers will somehow _know_ and adopt every single one of them.

“So… you’re the boy who helped Chrome,” says the same voice that called out to Ken earlier. 

Tsuna locks eyes with heterochromatic eyes and feels his intuition _scream_. 

It’s the shadowy figure from last week.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsuna's getting into something dangerous. But when is that ever a surprise?
> 
> As always, thanks for all the support!! Remember you can always contact me on my [tumblr](https://bonesetblues.tumblr.com/) @ bonesetblues if you have any questions.

It’s as though every sense of danger is now pinging at him all at once and Tsuna has to fight his instincts, wanting to run from this room. Not that he could, with Chikusa and Ken boxing him in. It would figure that even when listening to his intuition, he still gets himself into these situations. 

“Hi?” Tsuna says though it comes out as a question more than anything else. He’s not sure what to say. He never expected that he’d come across that figure again, or at least, not so closely. 

Thinking about it, this situation supposedly had something to do with Chrome. He looks around at the other teens in the room, trying to find the girl. When he meets her gaze, he finds that she’s wringing her hands from the back of the room, colorful bandaids over her fingers. He recognizes them as the same brand he’d snuck into the cart when he was buying her some food.

After letting out a, quite frankly, terrifying and strange laugh the boy sitting on the couch says, “He doesn’t look like much, does he?”

Chrome’s posture tenses further, hands clasped together so hard he can see her knuckles turn white. 

“Can I ask what this is about?” Tsuna did _not_ want to stay here any longer if it meant that something might happen to him if he does. It feels like he’s stuck in a terrible movie where something tragic happens to the main character and he’s not risking that.

“You seem the type to enjoy helping people,” the boy says, leaning back. He looks like a king on his throne when he does it, but his eyes are sharp, digging into him. “Think of it as a test. You do this for us and I won’t-”

“Mukuro,” Chrome interrupts. Her eyebrows are furrowed and her shoulders are hunched as though she expects to be snapped at, but she takes a step towards the boy on the couch.

Mukuro looks at her for a long moment. Tsuna takes that time to look around at whoever else is in the room. Aside from Ken and Chikusa, there are two others. Another girl, with bright red hair, cut down to her chin. She’s attempting to look bored, but Tsuna knows otherwise. The last one in the room is another boy, older than the rest, with black hair and two dark lines on his cheek.

“What do you need me to do?” Tsuna asks, trying to subtly look for the last member. There are only six people in here. He’s not going to foolishly say yes without knowing what his task is, but he can at least hear them out. He knows himself, though. He’s spent so long with Izuku that it’s likely he’ll do as he’s asked, because he can’t stand the thought of leaving people in need without attempting to help. 

Damn it, Izuku, this is partly your fault, Tsuna thinks. He tries to ignore how that feels like a lie and that’d he’d probably do something regardless of whether or not he grew up with Izuku.

“There’s a little boy that’s supposed to be with us,” Chrome says before Mukuro can open his mouth. He gets a slightly offended look on his face. Tsuna chokes back a laugh.

“We know where he is, but it’s risky for us to get him,” Mukuro continues for Chrome. “Of course, that’s not to say we can’t. But you? It’d be a piece of cake, what with your pet hitman following you around.”

Pet...hitman? Oh. Oh no. Hopefully Reborn didn’t hear that. He can’t imagine anyone calling him that to his face. Dread trickles its way down his spine and he knows that he’s hoping for too much. Reborn totally caught that.

“He’s not my pet… and I thought he was just a vigilante?” Tsuna scratches the back of his head. He’s caught off guard by Mukuro letting out a cackle.

“You don’t know anything, do you?” Mukuro smirks at him, the first hints of amusement taking over his calculative judgment. 

“I know enough, thank you,” Tsuna snaps. He’s tired of people condescending him. It’s always the same. Unfortunately, the courage he’d had to snap fizzles away instantly and he finds himself immediately regretting all his decisions leading up to this point. Thankfully, there’s no offense found. It only seemed to intrigue the other teen _more_.

“Sure, sure. Ignorance is bliss and all that,” Mukuro says, waving a dismissive hand. “Running away from the unknown or whatever.” 

Tsuna pursed his lips. There are many things he wants to say to that but remembers Reborn telling him to listen to his intuition. He must look strange, for zoning out so blatantly, while he listens. 

Finally, Tsuna sighs. “You’re angry. You’re angry at someone that did something to you and it’s associated with... Reborn?” 

Tsuna tilts his head, then shakes it. 

“No, you’re angry with the world as a whole, but there’s always something you can pin the blame onto, and _Vongola_ is one of those things.”

Mukuro raises an eyebrow but seems content to let Tsuna continue his train of thought, though he does look more guarded than he had been.

“I’m not casting judgment, but I don’t think you can make assumptions about whether or not I want to be in the position I am. Regardless, I’m going to change things,” Tsuna says, feeling a strange calm come over him. It makes Mukuro perk up, eyes locked onto Tsuna’s. “The Vongola are not going to continue to bloody their hands by the time I’m through with them. If they don’t change? There won’t be a Vongola at all.”

There’s a pause before Mukuro lets out his strange laugh again. Tsuna tries not to linger on it.

“Brave words,” Mukuro mocks, but it sounds like there’s some grudging respect. He stands up from the couch. “There’s a boy. His name is Fuuta. He’s a bit younger than we are, and in some aspects, more innocent. His quirk has garnered the attention of the underground and he’s been taken by someone who intends to use his quirk maliciously. It’d be bad to let that happen, no?”

Tsuna frowns at the change of topics, and then further at the idea of a young boy being used as a tool or weapon. 

“I’ve changed my mind about letting you go alone, but you _are_ going, aren’t you?” Mukuro asks like Tsuna doesn’t have a choice in the matter, but the truth is, Tsuna knows damn well he was going to say yes. At least he’s not going alone.

“Um, but you didn’t say who had Fuuta,” Tsuna points out, instead of answering Mukuro’s question.

“Just a naughty little mafia that needs to be taught a lesson,” Mukuro says, a smile as sharp as a knife on his face. Tsuna has a bad feeling about this.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this intermission of a chapter, I think I'm going to be taking a temporary break from this fic. I'm having a lot of fun with my other one; [curiosity kills the cat (but satisfaction brings it back)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19118947/chapters/45432979). 
> 
> Admittedly part of the reason is that it gets a much better response than this one, but the other reason is that I've been wondering if I shouldn't just turn this second part of the series into a bunch of related drabbles that move the story along without all the filler chapters, like this one? Like just random drabbles about Tsuna meeting his 'guardians', Tsuna's reaction to All Might tutoring his brother, etc? This fic will feature all that, but it'll take longer. I don't know, I'm still thinking.
> 
> But I'm not giving up on this fic, so don't worry about that. I just think I should focus on something else for a little while.

Although far from the first meeting Reborn’s ever had with Nana, he can’t help but note that Iemitsu’s reports on his family are outdated. Considering Iemitsu is a bonafide vigilante leader, it’s quite remiss, and Reborn has plans for when he meets that man again. It’s not even that Iemitsu’s incompetent (the man has always been ruthless, at least, towards vigilante matters. Why would his family have been different?). This is a level of negligence that is unusual for Iemitsu. 

When Reborn meets Nana again after all these years, he’s prepared a persona specifically for a naive, gullible housewife, euphoric off a honeymoon period. She’s no longer tied to Iemitsu, but a lovely woman named Inko. Frankly, Reborn thinks it’s about time she left the blond. It’s safer this way, and she was much harder to track down. Not impossible- she gave Iemitsu her new address after all- but even then, Reborn would have found her. He’s not the world’s greatest vigilante for nothing.

Stepping into the residence for the first time, to be met with Nana’s blatant hostility, is thrilling. Never will Reborn deny that he was getting bored, hence why he took this favor in the first place, but if this was a sign of what was to come, then he’s on board one hundred percent now. 

Unfortunately, the report does show some worrying signs; it feels incomplete like Iemitsu had given up on finishing it. For example, there had been no information about two other boys outside of Izuku and Tsunayoshi. Touya and Hitoshi hadn’t even been _recent_ additions. 

At this point, Reborn had lit his files on fire and started from scratch, drawing his own conclusions about the family.

For one, Nana was quick to intervene when she sensed that Reborn was about to get heavy-handed with his training. She was as sharp as Colonello’s pet bird and had picked up on art in her spare time. She had connections a mile long from her kind nature, even if she was crafty underneath. However, she was still gentle and inclined to mother even _him_. 

She also has a habit of attempting to adopt kids into her household, as evident with Hitoshi and Touya. She never treats Tsunayoshi differently from her other kids- there’s no obvious favoritism at play.

Inko is about as stern as Nana but more obvious about her worrying and fretting. From what Reborn’s gathered, she cries at the drop of a hat, but she’s kind and her smile is about as bright as his quirk. She’s smart and always seems to know when one of the boys is getting into trouble. She seems guilty about something but, as far he knows, she’s slowly gathering the confidence to speak up about it. 

Touya is guarded, understandably so. The way he walks into a room quietly speaks of the need to not be noticed, a symptom of abuse that he’s likely acquired from Enji Todoroki. Touya speaks loudly and clearly but prefers to listen when others speak. He’s also notably protective as an older sibling. When he’s open, he’s playful with his siblings. From his scars, his quirk may or may not hurt him when he uses it. More research needs to be compiled on that.

Hitoshi isn’t that far off from Touya in terms of demeanor, but instead of confident, he’s quiet. Observing. Less angry, too, but not at all a pushover. He’s constantly tired, with bags under his eyes. He gets along with Tsuna quite well, when the two want some quiet time, but he hangs out with Izuku more. Reborn still has to dig into the boy’s quirk but has deduced that he’s somewhat hesitant to use it and that it might have something to do with his voice.

Tsunayoshi is lacking in self-confidence, inclined to let his own bullying fall to the wayside, but less likely to let anyone get away with being rude to his brothers. Easily stressed and inclined to avoid chaotic situations that force him out of his comfort zone. He’s also somewhat reliant on one of his brothers to be around to lean on, something that Reborn plans on fixing as soon as possible. Even still, Reborn has seen the sparks of bravery behind his eyes, and the way the boy uses his intuition is impressive. There’s hope yet in this one.

Lastly is Izuku. Cheerful and smart, Reborn’s been intrigued by the boy’s skill in analyzing quirks. If he could push the boy into rounding out his abilities, he would be a force of nature. Even still, his determination and his instinct to run in to save people, to help them, is astounding. He has the making of a true hero and Reborn’s _almost_ worried about how that will affect his bond with Tsuna in the future if Tsuna doesn’t quite manage to change Vongola. 

All in all, Reborn knows he has his work cut out for him. Iemitsu’s lucky that he’s never relied on reports fully, choosing instead to gather his own information. 

There is one other thing that slipped under his nose while he wasn’t watching, though. A certain _Simon_ heir. He had known about them no longer being in Italy, but what were the chances of them being stationed in the same city as the Vongola heir? He has no doubts that it’s likely due to the two vigilante organizations being so close. The added protection doesn’t hurt, but it was still surprising to an extent.

Unfortunately, it means that the Simon heir needed a tutor, as well. So while Tsuna’s off getting himself pulled into infiltrating the dangerous depths of a mafia organization holding children hostage, Reborn heads over to the park not far from the Simon heir’s house.

Reborn sits on a bench, patiently reading an article on his phone when the sound of heavy boots reaches his ears. He puts his phone into his pocket and looks up- black eyes meet purple and Reborn is struck by the urge to throttle something.

“Reborn,” Skull says, lips ticking up in amusement. The light glints off his piercing, flashing into Reborn’s gaze. 

“ _Lackey_ ,” Reborn grinds out. 

This does not bode well, Reborn thinks. If Skull knows he’s here, it won’t be long until the others catch wind of it.

Tsuna’s not ready to meet the other Arcobalenos yet.


End file.
